Clinton Has Failed Our Vets

The Clinton/Obama era has been disastrous for our nation's veterans. Under their failed leadership, too many of our nation's finest died waiting to receive medical help from injuries suffered protecting our country. Clinton's refusal to acknowledge the "widespread" and "systemic failures" that exist in our VA is only intensifying the problems. As Americans we need to demand more from our public officials to serve our heroes as they served us. The Clinton/Obama way of enriching bureaucrats who fail our veterans is wrong.

THE VETERANS AFFAIRS SENATE REPORT SHOWS "SYSTEMATIC FAILURES" AT VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTERS

In May, A Senate Investigation Revealed Widespread "Systemic Failures" By The Veteran Affairs Inspector General's Review Of The Veteran Affairs Medical Center In Tomah, Wis..." "A Senate investigation of poor health care at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Tomah, Wis., found systemic failures in a VA inspector general's review of the facility that raise questions about the internal watchdog's ability to ensure adequate health care for veterans nationwide… One of the biggest failures identified by Senate investigators was the inspector general's decision not to release its investigation report, which concluded two providers at the facility had been prescribing alarming levels of narcotics." (Donovan Slack, "Senate Investigation finds 'Systemic' Failures At VA Watchdog," USA Today , 05/31/16)

• The Probe Found The VA's Inspector General "Discounted Key Evidence And Witness Testimony, Needlessly Narrowed Its Inquiry And Has No Standard For Determining Wrongdoing." "The probe by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee found the inspector general's office, which is charged with independently investigating VA complaints, discounted key evidence and witness testimony, needlessly narrowed its inquiry and has no standard for determining wrongdoing." (Donovan Slack, "Senate Investigation finds 'Systemic' Failures At VA Watchdog," USA Today , 05/31/16)

"One Of The Biggest Failures" Was That The VA IG Failed To Release An Investigative Report That Would Have Forced VA Officials To Publicly Address The Excessive Prescription Of Narcotics At The Facility. One of the biggest failures identified by Senate investigators was the inspector general's decision not to release its investigation report, which concluded two providers at the facility had been prescribing alarming levels of narcotics. The facility's chief of staff at the time was David Houlihan, a physician veterans had nick-named 'candy man' because he doled out so many pills. Releasing the report would have forced VA officials to publicly address the issue and ensured follow up by the inspector general to make sure the VA took action. Instead, the inspector general's office briefed local VA officials and closed the case." (Donovan Slack, "Senate Investigation finds 'Systemic' Failures At VA Watchdog," USA Today , 05/31/16)

• The Chief Of Staff At A VA Facility Was Nick-Named "Candy Man" For Prescribing So Many Pills."The facility's chief of staff at the time was David Houlihan, a physician veterans had nick-named 'candy man' because he doled out so many pills. Releasing the report would have forced VA officials to publicly address the issue and ensured follow up by the inspector general to make sure the VA took action. Instead, the inspector general's office briefed local VA officials and closed the case." (Donovan Slack, "Senate Investigation finds 'Systemic' Failures At VA Watchdog," USA Today , 05/31/16)

The Investigation Raised Concerns That The VA's Watchdog Is Able To Ensure "Adequate Health Care For Veterans Nationwide.""A Senate investigation of poor health care at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Tomah, Wis., found systemic failures in a VA inspector general's review of the facility that raise questions about the internal watchdog's ability to ensure adequate health care for veterans nationwide." (Donovan Slack, "Senate Investigation finds 'Systemic' Failures At VA Watchdog," USA Today , 05/31/16)

According To The Report, In Three Months "The VA Investigated And Substantiated A Majority Of The Allegations That The VA OIG Could Not Substantiate After Several Years." "'In just three months, the VA investigated and substantiated a majority of the allegations that the VA OIG could not substantiate after several years,' the committee report notes." (Donovan Slack, "Senate Investigation finds 'Systemic' Failures At VA Watchdog," USA Today , 05/31/16)

An Internal VA Investigation Also Found Widespread Problems

An Internal Department Of Veterans Affairs Investigation Found That Schedulers Routinely Misreported When Patients Actually Wanted To See A Doctor Or Receive Care, Making It Impossible To Track Delays. "An internal Department of Veterans Affairs investigation found that schedulers in Texas routinely misreported when patients actually wanted to see a doctor or get some other type of care, making it impossible to track delays in the care they received." (Will Weissert, "Internal VA Report Finds Misleading Wait Time Data In Texas," The Associated Press , 3/10/16)

• The Report Tracked Problems In Clinics And Medical Facilities In Central And South Texas."The report released Tuesday by the VA's Office of Inspector General tracks problems in clinics and medical facilities in central and South Texas." (Will Weissert, "Internal VA Report Finds Misleading Wait Time Data In Texas," The Associated Press , 3/10/16)

• According To The Report, Schedulers Listed The First Available Date That A Patient Could Be Seen As The Date That A Patient Had Wanted To Be Seen. "According to the report, schedulers often listed the first available date that a patient could be seen as the date that a patient had wanted to be seen. This meant there was no way to track how much longer those seeking care waited to get it." (Will Weissert, "Internal VA Report Finds Misleading Wait Time Data In Texas," The Associated Press , 3/10/16)

• VA Employees Reported That They Sometimes Engaged In Misleading Scheduling At The Behest Of Their Supervisors. "VA employees reported to investigators that they sometimes engaged in misleading scheduling at the behest of their supervisors." (Will Weissert, "Internal VA Report Finds Misleading Wait Time Data In Texas," The Associated Press , 3/10/16)

An Employee At An Austin Clinic Said her Supervisor Taught Her How To Make Patient Wait Times Equal To Zero."An employee at an Austin clinic said her supervisor and another employee taught her how to make patient wait times equal zero by manipulating appointment dates, and that she was again trained to "zero out" wait times after moving to another facility."(Will Weissert, "Internal VA Report Finds Misleading Wait Time Data In Texas," The Associated Press , 3/10/16)

• One Scheduler Reported That A Supervisor Threatened To Fire Her If She Didn't Zero-Out Wait Time Data."A Kerrville scheduler reported that a supervisor threatened to fire her if she didn't zero-out wait time data." (Will Weissert, "Internal VA Report Finds Misleading Wait Time Data In Texas," The Associated Press , 3/10/16)

In A Previous Report, The VA Inspector General Also Found Widespread Problems At VA Facilities

The VA IG Found Serious Fraud And Regulatory Violations At 51 VA Medical Facilities But Failed To Recommend Corrective Actions."Investigators for the Department of Veterans Affairs Inspector General found serious fraud and regulatory violations linked to scheduling problems at 51 VA medical facilities, but then failed to recommend any corrective actions." (Ethan Barton, "VA Watchdog Finds Serious Fraud, But Suggests NO Corrective Action," Daily Caller, 2/26/16)

• IG Investigators Failed To Adequately Investigate Whistleblower Disclosures. "[T]he VA IG 'failed to adequately investigate whistleblower disclosures about veterans' access to mental healthcare,' the Office of Special Counsel reported Thursday. Two whistleblowers… reported that they were required to 'violate VA scheduling protocols,' which 'created a false appearance of acceptable wait times while masking significant delays in veterans' access to care,' OSC wrote in a letter to Congress and the White House. 'The OIG failed to adequately address the whistleblowers' core concerns about access to care and whether these practices violated VA directives,' the letter said. The IG 'limited its investigation to whether' employees were using 'secret' spreadsheets outside the VA's official scheduling system, rather than if there was an issue with access to mental health care or wait times"(Ethan Barton, "VA Watchdog Finds Serious Fraud, But Suggests NO Corrective Action," Daily Caller, 2/26/16)

Special Counsel Said That VA Investigation Into Misconduct Allegations Was "Incomplete" Because It Didn't Respond To Issues Raised By The Whistleblower. "The OIG investigations that the VA submitted in response to both referrals are incomplete. They do not respond to the issues that the whistleblower raised." (Carolyn Lerner, U.S. Office of Special Counsel, Letter To The President, 2/25/16)

• The OIG Investigations Found Evidence To Support Whistleblower Allegations That VA Employees Were Intentionally Working Outside Of Official Systems. "The OIG investigations found evidence to support the whistleblowers allegations that employees were using separate spreadsheets outside of the VA's electronic scheduling and patient record systems." (Carolyn Lerner, U.S. Office of Special Counsel, Letter To The President, 2/25/16)

• The OIG Limited Its Review To Whether The Spreadsheets Were 'Secret.' "The OIG largely limited its review to determining whether these separate spreadsheets were 'secret.'" (Carolyn Lerner, U.S. Office of Special Counsel, Letter To The President, 2/25/16)

• "The Special Counsel Determined That The Agency Report Does Not Meet The Statutory Requirements, Nor Do the Agency's Findings Appear Reasonable." "Specifically, the report offers no findings regarding the allegations that scheduling personnel failed to follow proper scheduling protocol and were not properly trained on agency scheduling policies and practices, or that management encouraged the manipulation of electronic scheduling system." (Carolyn Lerner, U.S. Office of Special Counsel, Letter To The President, 2/25/16)

• The Evidence Does Not Fully Support The VA's Findings And Conclusions. "The evidence does not fully support the VA's findings and conclusions." (Carolyn Lerner, U.S. Office of Special Counsel, Letter To The President, 2/25/16)

• The Report Does Not Sufficiently Address The Whistleblower's Allegation That There Was A Significant Delay In Access To Care That The VA Electronic Scheduling System Did Not Reflect, Which Endangered Public Health And Safety. "The report does not sufficiently address Mr. Wilke's allegation that there was a significant delay in access to care in the Overton Brooks Mental Health Clinic that the VA electronic scheduling system did not accurately reflect, which endangered public health and safety."(Carolyn Lerner, U.S. Office of Special Counsel, Letter To The President, 2/25/16)

CLINTON CLAIMED VA PROBLEMS UNDER OBAMA WERE NOT "WIDESPREAD"

In An October 2015 Interview, Clinton Said The VA Scandal Has "Not Been As Widespread As It Has Been Made Out To Be ." CLINTON: "Yeah, and I don't understand that. You know, I don't understand why we have such a problem, because there have been a number of surveys of veterans, and overall, veterans who do get treated are satisfied with their treatment. Now…" MSNBC'S RACHEL MADDOW: "Much more so than people in the regular system." CLINTON: "That's exactly right." MSNBC'S RACHEL MADDOW: "Yeah. Right." CLINTON: "Now, nobody would believe that from the coverage that you see, and the constant berating of the VA that comes from the Republicans, in part in pursuit of this ideological agenda that they have." MSNBC'S RACHEL MADDOW: "But in part because there has been real scandal." CLINTON: "There has been. And - but it's not been as widespread as it has been made out to be." (MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show," 10/23/15)

• Clinton Accused Republicans Of "Constant Berating Of The V.A. That Comes From The Republicans, In Part In Pursuit Of This Ideological Agenda…" CLINTON: "Now, nobody would believe that from the coverage that you see, and the constant berating of the V.A. that comes from the Republicans, in part in pursuit of this ideological agenda that they have." (MSNBC's " The Rachel Maddow Show," 10/23/15)

Click To Watch

Through A Spokesman, Clinton Refused To Apologize For Her Remarks. "'Republicans are trying to suggest the only solution to the VA's problems is to privatize it, but Hillary Clinton will not apologize for insisting on doing the hard work to reform the VA, rather than ending it altogether,' [Clinton campaign Press Secretary Brian] Fallon said." (Ben Kelsing, "Republicans Take Aim at Hillary Clinton For VA Remarks," The Wall Street Journal , 10/28/15)

Days Later, Clinton Dodged Questions On Whether She Stood By Her Comments In Which She Downplayed The Scandal Plaguing The VA. QUESTION: "So this week, taking a lot of criticism about some recent comments you made about the VA, saying the scandal was overblown and that the problems aren't as widespread as people would have you believe. Do you stand by these comments?" CLINTON: "You know, I share the outrage that everybody felt when the scandal was finally discovered and people began to address it. There were clearly systemic problems and those problems must be dealt with, I've already been talking about what I would do. But I am worried about some people trying to use the fact that we need to make major reforms as a justification for dismantling the VA and I think my comments were really more directed at that. I want us to fix what's wrong, I want us to make sure that anyone who's ever served our country, no matter what age, no matter when they served, gets whatever medical support that they need and I support the program that was passed to provide the opportunity if you can't get the services that you need in your VA to be able to go out and get those services in the community. But from all of my work on behalf of veterans, there's a lot about the VA that's right, a lot that works. So let's focus on what's wrong and fix it and not let anybody use that as an excuse, because there are things that have to be fixed, to try to dismantle the VA." ( WMUR Interview With Hillary Clinton, 10/28/15)

• Clinton: "There's A Lot About The VA That's Right, A Lot That Works." CLINTON: "But from all of my work on behalf of veterans, there's a lot about the VA that's right, a lot that works. So let's focus on what's wrong and fix it and not let anybody use that as an excuse, because there are things that have to be fixed, to try to dismantle the VA." ( WMUR Interview With Hillary Clinton, 10/28/15)

VA Secretary Bob McDonnell Companies Wait Times To Disney Land

VA Secretary Compares Hospital Wait Times To Disneyland "'The days to an appointment is really not what we should be measuring. What we should be measuring is the veteran's satisfaction,' McDonald told reporters at a Christian Science Monitor breakfast in Washington, according to The Hill newspaper. 'When you go to Disney, do they measure the number of hours you wait in line?' he asked. 'What's important is what's your satisfaction with the experience.'"(Rebecca Shabad, "Veterans Affairs Secretary Compares Wait Times To Lines At Disneyland," CBS, 5/23/16)

Hillary for America

Trump’s Decades Of Disdain For Veterans

Donald Trump is set to give an address about veterans this afternoon in Virginia. Perhaps he should address his own record. Trump’s recklessness, his lack of knowledge on national security, and his thin-skinned temperament would make our country and our troops less safe. The few policy reforms his campaign has actually embraced, like moving toward privatizing the VA, would deprive our veterans of the unique support they need and deserve. And for literally decades, Trump has been treating our veterans with disdain, from a deluge of deeply offensive comments, to taking actions that directly targeted and damaged the lives of those who have served.

Take a look:

Trump's Campaign Has Signaled He Wants To Privatize The VA, And Said He Opposed The Post-9/11 GI Bill

WSJ: “While short on details, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee would likely push VA health care toward privatization and might move for it to become more of an insurance provider like Medicare rather than an integrated hospital system, said Sam Clovis, Mr. Trump’s chief policy adviser, in an interview.”

POLL: 64% of veterans oppose privatization -- with 54% of them strongly opposing it -- while only 29% support it.

Hillary Clinton: “We cannot and I will not put our vets at the mercy of private insurance companies without any coordination, or leave them to fend for themselves with health care providers who have no expertise in the unique challenges that are facing our veterans… Privatization is a betrayal, plain and simple, and I’m not going to let it happen.”

Asked point-blank in May if he supported the Post-9/11 G.I., which has benefitted over 700,000 veterans and their family members, Trump said no.

Trump Dishonored Iraq War Veterans By Repeatedly Praising Saddam Hussein

Trump, 7/5/2016: “You know what [Saddam Hussein] did well? He killed terrorists. He did that so good. They didn’t read them the rights. They didn’t talk. They were terrorists. It was over.”

Trump, Dec. 2015: "Saddam Hussein throws a little gas, everyone goes crazy, 'oh he's using gas!... they go back, forth, it's the same. And they were stabilized."

Trump, Jan. 2014: "Whether you like Saddam Hussein or not, he used to kill terrorists. Now if you go to Iraq, it's like the Harvard for terrorists."

Washington Post Editorial: “Saddam Hussein was not ‘so good’ at killing terrorists, as Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed. On the contrary, he was one of the contemporary world’s foremost sponsors of terrorism. He harbored or funded some of history’s most infamous killers and jihadists, including the current chief of al-Qaeda, and plotted numerous terrorist attacks of his own, including an attempt to assassinate former president George H.W. Bush with a suicide bomb.”

ABC News: Congressman and Iraq War Vet Blasts Trump's Praise of Iraqi Dictator Saddam Hussein

Trump Broadly Attacked Troops Who Served In Iraq, Accusing Them Of Stealing Iraq Recovery Funds

Trump: “Iraq, crooked as hell. How about bringing baskets of money, millions and millions of dollars, and handing it out? I want to know, who are the soldiers that had that job? Because I think they're living very well right now, whoever they may be."

Weekly Standard: Trump: American Soldiers in Iraq Stole Money, 'Living Very Well Right Now'

Washington Free Beacon: Veterans Push Back at Trump Over Theft Accusations

Iraq War Veteran: “Mostly, I’ve kept my thoughts about politics and social issues to myself. But...I felt compelled to speak out…. You see, during my tour in Iraq from 2009 to 2010, I was one of those whose job it was to hand out ‘baskets of money.’... I personally never took a dime. No one else from my team took anything, either.… Trump’s statement attacking not just my character but also that of all the men and women I had the honor of serving with was repugnant. These people had raised their right hands and sacrificed a year or more of their lives in one of the worst situations imaginable, all for their country…. It’s infuriating to hear a billionaire real estate mogul...speak so callously against a group of Americans whom he knows next to nothing about.”

Trump Insults Our Military

Trump: “Our military is a disaster.”

NYT: “Donald J. Trump, who received draft deferments through much of the Vietnam War, told the author of a coming biography that he nevertheless ‘always felt that I was in the military’ because of his education at a military-themed boarding school.”

Trump on Armored Humvees: “If a bomb goes off our wounded warriors–instead of losing their legs, their arms, worse, they’re okay. They go for a little ride upward and they come down.”

Trump Businesses Have Fired Employees Because Of Their Military Service

HuffPo: Trump Institute Fired Veteran For ‘Absences’ After He Was Deployed To Afghanistan

CNN: Iraq war veteran claims Trump University fired her for serving in the Army Reserve

HuffPo: Third Veteran Dumped By Trump Because Of Military Service

Trump Repeatedly Lied About Donations To Veterans Charities

Washington Post: Here’s how we found out about Donald Trump’s phantom $1 million donation to vets

Mother Jones' Kevin Drum: “If character is supposed to be important in our presidents, this is evidence of the most contemptible kind of character imaginable. He tried to cheat a bunch of veterans!”

CNN: Trump’s website boasts that he gave $1 million to the 1995 Nation’s Day Parade, but the event’s organizer said that’s nearly three times more than he actually gave.

Trump Scammed Veterans Through Trump University

CNN [VIDEO]: 40-year Navy veteran scammed out of more than $26,000 by Trump University

Ex-Marine: “[Trump University] was a con. I’m 25-years-old, barely making $3,000 a month and they told me to increase my credit limit. I just maxed out three credit cards and I’m supposed to be able to qualify for loans to buy real estate? Those stupid principles have led me to borrow $700,000 of other people’s money and lose it all. I’m still paying off some of that debt to this day.”

TIME: “The records indicate, for example, that Trump University collected approximately $40 million from its students–who included veterans, retired police officers and teachers–and that Trump personally received approximately $5 million of it”

Trump Insults Prisoners Of War

Trump on Sen. John McCain: “He’s not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured, ok? I hate to tell you.”

USA Today: McCain: Trump should apologize to POWs

BuzzFeed: Trump: I Don’t Regret McCain Comments, My Poll Numbers Went Up

Trump Attempted To Kick Disabled Veterans Who Were Vendors Off The Street Across Two Decades

1991: Trump Letter to State Assemblyman John Dearie: “While disabled veterans should be given every opportunity to earn a living, is it fair to do so to the detriment of the city as a whole or its tax paying citizens and businesses?... Do we allow Fifth Ave., one of the world’s finest and most luxurious shopping districts, to be turned into an outdoor flea market, clogging and seriously downgrading the area?”

2004: Trump Letter to Mayor Bloomberg: “Whether they are veterans or not, they should not be allowed to sell on this most important and prestigious shopping street… I hope you can stop this very deplorable situation before it is too late.”

Statement From HFA Adviser And Army Veteran Bishop Garrison On Trump's Veterans Plan

###